Action plan developed to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND

The 'Priority Action Plan' (PAP) has been developed by the Lancashire SEND Partnership to address concerns identified following a recent inspection carried out by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) and Lancashire County Council, as part of the partnership, are jointly responsible for the planning and commissioning of services for children and young people with SEND in Lancashire.

A report to the county council's cabinet on Thursday 20 March will outline how the SEND system in the UK is facing unprecedented challenges due to exponential demand and increasing pressures.

Nationally, over recent years, the number of children and young people requiring SEND support has surged dramatically. This rise reflects a growing recognition and diagnosis of special educational needs, leading to significant demand for SEND services and placements.

The five-day inspection of the Lancashire Local Area Partnership took place in December 2024, with inspectors noting many strengths of the partnership's delivery of SEND and SEND services.

Inspectors recognised that there is a clear ambition and commitment of the partnership to improve the lives of children and young people with SEND and found that, overall, educational outcomes for children and young people with SEND were improving. 

The Priority Action Plan pledges that leaders from the ICB and local authority will:

• Urgently work together to improve their shared strategic governance, oversight, commissioning, support, challenge and planning of services for children and young people with SEND. They should implement and monitor effective strategies to improve the experiences for children and young people with SEND in education, health and social care across Lancashire.
• Significantly improve the process, timeliness, quality and oversight of Education Health and Care plans and annual reviews.
• Continue to work together with urgency to address the delays and gaps in service provision within the current neurodivergent pathway. This is to meet the full range of needs of children and young people with SEND across Lancashire.

The Priority Action Plan is part of a long-term journey being undertaken by the partnership to sustainably improve SEND services. It addresses the immediate priorities while also planning for a more transformative approach in the future.

It was developed with a wide range of stakeholders and also utilised feedback gathered over recent months.

The Priority Action Plan will be supported by an additional resources of £5 million approved in the county council's 2025/2026 Annual Budget. The ICB will also commit to addressing the improvements required.

There has already been additional in-year investment of £14.3 million from the county council, with an increased budget of £13 million approved for 2025/26. 

At their meeting next week, cabinet will be asked to approve a recommendation to write to the Government to offer support from Lancashire County Council to inform national legislative change and ensure that local needs and perspectives are represented.

Councillor Jayne Rear, cabinet member for Education and Skills, said:

"Lancashire SEND Partnership is committed to working collaboratively to improve outcomes for our children and young people with SEND, and their families.

"Nationally, it is recognised that the issues we and other SEND partnerships are experiencing are largely driven by increasing demand for specialist support.

"Across the country this extra demand has left parents, schools, health and councils all increasingly dissatisfied and often frustrated, as well as resulting in poorer outcomes for children.

"That is why the House of Commons has launched an inquiry into the current situation into SEND issues.

"In Lancashire, we know that we have much work to do and it's crucial that we listen to the voices of professionals, children, young people and their families, to shape and deliver the plan.

"It's about getting the right support at the right time and we are confident that working together we will improve the lives of children and young people with SEND."

The plan will be presented to the ICB's board on 19 March.

Professor Sarah O’Brien, chair of Lancashire SEND Partnership Board and chief nursing officer for the ICB, said: 

"As chair of the Lancashire SEND Partnership I am committed to seeing improved outcomes for all our children and young people with SEND.

"The 'Priority Action Plan' sets out our vision of how we intend to deliver this improvement and places the highest focus on impact for the people who use our services and their families. We welcome the additional scrutiny and support in delivering on this agenda and the much-needed transformation.

"We have consulted with a wide range of stakeholders, including children and young people and their parent carers, to ensure we have set ambitious goals that we must deliver at pace and scale.

"We’re committed to continuing to develop and deliver on our shared strategic vision as partnership, through co-production with our local communities to improve outcomes for all children and young people with SEND across Lancashire."

If approved by cabinet and the ICB's board, the Priority Action Plan will be submitted to the Department for Education and Ofsted by 25 March 2025.

At its meeting on Thursday 20 March, cabinet will also be asked to agree that the Children, Families and Skills Scrutiny Committee be asked to oversee the progress against milestones in the Priority Action Plan in addition to quarterly performance updates to cabinet.